Standard FinishLine Spring 2015

Welcome I Contents

Customer Snapshot

The Standard Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder (left) exclusively supports KC’s digital print operations, while its AFC-566FG Folder (right), is leveraged for both offset and digital workflows. Phil Claps, seen here with Standard dealer Mark Susmark of Accurate Printing Repair & Sales, Inc., says its operators marvel at the AFC-566FG’s speed and ease of use — managing as many as 42,000 sheets per hour.

Welcome

Contents

Finishing Capabilities Expand KC Printing’s Business. Illinois-based, full-service marketing services company

In With The New...

Customer Snapshot

Spring was especially well received this year for many of our customers who endured a long, cold, and snowy winter. Even if you were lucky enough to avoid such a winter, the season of spring still brings with it a sense of renewal, organization, and clean-up. At Standard, we’re doing a little spring cleaning of our own as we make room for some exciting new additions to our demonstration floor. New to our showroom are two variable book production solutions that were featured at Hunkeler Innovationdays earlier this year. Hunkeler’s Plowfold Signature Book Block Solution and Horizon’s Smart Binding System truly take finishing automation to the next level going from roll-to-finished book or book block in one process with no manual touchpoints. See more about these solutions on page 7! Speaking of automation, our cover story features Louisiana- based Emprint Moran Printing who is constantly on the lookout for technologies that provide greater efficiencies to handle both short and long-run work. They recently chose an in-line Hunkeler Roll-to-Stack solution that allows them to remove steps from the process – getting them closer to a finished book right off the press.

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KC Printing smartly positioned as a full-service marketing services organization

Customer Profile

4-5 Emprint Moran Printing, Inc. meets even the most complex customer needs with precision and speed

Exceptional, one-stop shop is KC Printing’s mission.

Tech Talk

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As president of Barrington, IL-based KC Printing, Phil Claps has led the company through its evolution into so much more than a mere commercial print business. He’s smartly positioned KC Printing as a full-service marketing services organization. In addition to printing, copying, finishing, and mailing, the company also offers print and digital marketing consultation, inventory management, and promotional items like embroidered apparel. But print is still the bread-and-butter of the organization, and the types of print the company produces span everything from books to boxes, postcards to posters. Much of KC Printing’s clientele is local, but it’s not uncommon that loyal customers expand and relocate, which has broadened the company’s market. Today, clients include some well-known national franchise brands. The pressroom is equipped with nearly every printing process of which a print buyer could dream — offset, lithography, digital short-run, wide-format; two-, four-, and five-color presses. “We seek to be a one-stop shop,” Claps explains. “Our culture is full-service, and we look for technology that gives us an advantage in terms of quality control and turn time. That’s one of the many reasons why we’ve bought Standard Horizon equipment.” Claps worked closely with Standard Finishing Systems and local dealer, Lombard, IL’s Accurate Printing Repair &

Sales, Inc., to choose the highest- performing digital finishing systems on the market. That synergy between manufacturer, distributor, and dealer is vitally important to KC Printing.

Standard Horizon Rotary Die Cutters: Revolutionary features add flexibility and lower costs

Showtime Wrap-up

The finishing department now leverages that fully-automated Standard Horizon AFC-566FG Folder for both offset and digital printing workflows. “At first glance, I didn’t even recognize that it was a folder! It’s so different, new, and innovative,” he notes. By November 2014, Claps had also purchased a Standard Horizon RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter, recognized as a 2014 MUST SEE ‘EMS Award Winner at Graph Expo last year. This is not a run-of-the-mill die cutter, according to Claps, who lauds its ability to crease, perforate, slit, kiss-cut, die-cut, and round corner offset and digital media up to 0.019-inches thick. He also appreciates its ease of use and fast setups, thanks to its uncomplicated graphic interface and touchscreen controls. The RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter quickly proved its return on investment, allowing KC Printing to fulfill orders for the hundreds of thousands of door hangers it produces annually. With its capabilities in- house now, Claps says, “It has helped us sell the service to other customers who needed precision die-cutting. All of these technologies have helped grow our business.” According to Phil Claps, president at KC Printing, their new RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter quickly proved its ROI, allowing them to fulfill orders for the hundreds of thousands of door hangers it produces annually.

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Dscoop grows from 200 to over 2000 attendees in 10 year history

“Service is just as important as the technology itself,” he stressed.

Innovationdays 2015

Last June, the company invested in a Standard Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder. At KC Printing, the technology exclusively supports the digital print operations, and has been particularly adept at handling the myriad of media on which they’re printing — all sorts of grades and weights of coated and uncoated papers and cover stocks. Setup is a breeze, too, with preset jobs that automate that process, according to Claps. He chose the Standard Horizon CRF-362 Creaser/Folder to replace a past-its-prime creaser from another manufacturer, as well as to add new capabilities to his finishing services menu. “We have some bindery guys here who have more than 30 years of experience, and when they saw the CRF-362 Creaser/Folder, they were floored by what it could do,” Claps remarks. Following that installation, he paid a visit to Standard Finishing Systems’ Demonstration Center for an up-close- and-personal look at two technologies that had caught his eye: the Standard Horizon RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter and a Standard Horizon AFC-566FG Folder.

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Lucerne once again the global center for "high performance digital printing"

After a trip to Standard’s demonstration center, KC Printing of Illinois (at right) decided to bring its die- cutting capabilities in-house with the new Standard Horizon RD-4055 Rotary Die Cutter. Be sure to check out the unique features of the RD-4055

Customer Snapshot

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At McCallum Printing, short-run capability improves long-run productivity

in this issue’s “Tech Talk” section. And, on the back cover, McCallum Printing Group in Alberta installed Standard Horizon equipment after seeing it run at drupa, and continues to be amazed by its productivity when it comes to finishing their short-run work. As you evaluate new equipment for your bindery, consider asking us how we can help arrange a live demonstration. Whether it’s at our demonstration center, a trade show, or a dealer or customer location,

On the Cover Emprint Moran Printing, Inc.

seeing our solutions in action remains the best way for you to make informed decisions as you expand your business.

(Left to Right) Keith Page, Vice President of Operations Rebecca Vance, President

Publisher: Standard Finishing Systems

Doug Reny Vice President of Operations David Reny Executive Vice President

10 Connector Road Andover, MA 01810 Tel. 978-470-1920

Steven Reny President

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